Townsville Star

		Blue Star Line's M.V. "Townsville Star"

	Built:	BremerVulkan Schiffbau & Machinenfabrik, Vegesack, Germany
	ON:	196447
	Dimensions:	539'3" x 70'3" x 29'9ź"
	Tonnage:	Gross : 10725 Net : 6442
	Propulsion:	10-Cyl S.C.S.A. M.A.N. oil engine by shipbuilder
	Type:	Refrigerated Cargo Liner
	Launched:	22/8/1957 (Yard No. 866) as Townsville Star for Salient Shipping Company Ltd., Hamilton, Bermuda
	Completed:	12/1957
	Registered:	1958 at London
	Commenced:	25/08/1962 from Brisbane on new Australia-East Coast of U.S.A. and Canada service
	Trapped:	15/12/1978 at Khorramshahr for two months by the Iran-Iraq war.
	Final Voyage:	with a cargo of 160,000 carcasses of meat from Australia to Odessa
	Sold:	1980 to Nan Long Steel and Iron Co. Ltd., Taiwan
	Arrived:	Kaohsiung 18/06/1980 to be broken up
	Demolition:	Commenced 14/7/1980

	Sister ship:	Gladstone Star

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	*Townsville Star* ~ At Barry Docks, Glamorgan ~ November 1977


	*Townsville Star* ~ At Sydney ~ 1974 ~ Photograph Š John Rendle


	*Townsville Star*
	The last of five ships built in Germany, of which the *Canberra Star* , *Hobart Star* & *Newcastle Star* were sisters. The *Gladstone Star* and *Townsville Star* differed slightly in design. The building of these vessels in foreign yards caused some adverse comment at the time.

	*Townsville Star* - Seaforth Dock, Liverpool - Photograph Š Ron Baker


	*Townsville Star* ~ Vigo, Spain ~ Photograph Š Dave Barnicoat


	"M.A.N. YOUR STATIONS" ~ Cartoon by Walley Trickett


	*Townville* Star ~ Painting Š Wallace Trickett


	Townsville Star with Federal Lines Otaki and East Asiatic Lines *Simba* at Napier
	Painting Š Wallace Trickett


	*Townsville Star* at Fremantle 28^th September 1965 - Photo courtesy Pam Massey

	The photograph above has a story: Pam Massy sailed on a world cruise on the Southern Cross with her parents in 1965. Recently her mother asked if she could scan the photographs of their cruise, so she could see them on the computer. Pam contacted me to identify the ship. I in turn contacted the Fremantle Port Authority with a vague date and the fact the two ships were in port, they kindly replied with the following: The vessel in question was the Townsville Star. It berthed at F Shed Victoria Quay at 5.45am on Tuesday 28th September 1965 and shifted to No 8 Berth North Quay (as pictured) on Wednesday 29th September 1965. She sailed at 11pm Thursday 7th October 1965. Southern Cross berthed at the Overseas Passenger Terminal (G Shed) Victoria Quay at approximately 7am Thursday 7th October 1965 and sailed 5pm the same day. It says something for the excellent records at Fremantle !


	Shaw Savills' Southern Cross in Fremantle - Photograph Š Fraser Darrah

	The Southern Cross was finally scrapped in March 2004 after a long career. There will be many who started out for a new life in Australia and New Zealand who will mourn her passing. There are some fine photographs of her at: ssMaritme.com

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	Updated: 18-02-2008